Archie Smith: Boy Wonder
by May Vulcan
Summary: Many people fear spiders, snakes, the dark, heights, etcetera etcetera. But Archie Smith doesn't fear any of that. In fact, one could say that Archie Smith is fearless... well except for the fact that he fears growing up. So when his thirteenth birthday arrives, he's not in the least thrilled. Will anything ever come to change his mind?
1. Chapter 1

_**Full Summary: **__Many people fear spiders, snakes, the dark, heights, etcetera etcetera. But Archie Smith doesn't fear any of that. In fact, one could say that Archie Smith is fearless... well except for the fact that he fears growing up. So when his thirteenth birthday arrives, he's not in the least thrilled. Will anything ever come to change his mind?_

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_**Disclaimer**__: __I own nothing, just sayin'._

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__**Chapter One: The Peter Pan of the Now**

_"__Say your prayers, Hook!" - Peter Pan_

The redheaded preteen with the stunning blue eyes, Archie Smith, was sitting in his living room reading his favorite book Peter Pan. He had just passed his all-time favorite part of the story, the final battle between the amazing Pan and the malevolent Hook. Within moments, Archie was on top of the coffee table with his foam sword at hand. He was swinging it around in front of him.

_"_Say your prayers, Hook!" the twelve year old yelled. "You had better the Lost Boys go!"

_"_Arthur Daniel Smith, get off my newly polished coffee table _now_!" Mrs. Smith, Archie's mother, screamed.

Archie did as his mother had demanded; his mother's wrath was something he did not wasn't to unleash. He sat down next to his copy of Peter Pan with a sigh. The only thing that had been on his mind since the beginning of the month was finally finding a way to creep back into his thoughts. _Was Peter Pan real?_

_"_No! Of course not!" Mrs. Smith laughed into her cell phone. "It's all childish nonsense! He's turning thirteen on Sunday! No… He- Oh no; we won't be needing any of _that_! Arthur is not a child anymore…! He doesn't… I think I would know my own son. And for a fact, I know that he's ready to grow up!"

_Boy, is she wrong beyond all reason…_Archie thought as he slowly looked to his foam sword and then toward his book. He was really going to become a teenager in less than a few days and there was nothing he could do to stop it. _Unless Peter Pan really is real! _Archie sighed.

Without bothering to pick up the book or the sword, Archie peaked into the kitchen. He couldn't believe that this mother had thought that she actually knew her son well enough to say that he was ready to grow up. He slowly turned away from his mother and quickly dashed up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Once there, he looked toward the Disney posters that had been on the walls of his room for as long as he could remember. He watched as the Tinkerbell figurine hovered in circles over his bed. He looked toward the door that led to the nursery room, the door that had stars painted all over it. Archie smiled; now was his chance to just get away from it all.

Rapidly, he rushed across the bedroom floor in order to get to his favorite room in the house. Archie touched the biggest star on the door, the second from the right, and put his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. He closed his eyes and stepped into the room. With his eyes now open, Archie closed the door behind him and turned around to come face to face with the replicated room of Neverland. The ceiling was painted the color of the Neverland sky, or rather what Archie thought the Neverland skies looked like. To his left there was a large painting that his mother had bought for him at Disneyland. The painting of Neverland's map. Below the map was a detailed wallpaper of Neverland's mermaids in Mermaid's Lagoon. In front of Archie were the Indian Tribes and Tiger Lily. Behind him was Skull Rock. To his right, was Peter Pan and the Lost Boys aboard the Jolly Roger fighting the infamous Captain toward the Lost Boys, Archie smiled. He had always dreamed of becoming on of the Lost Boys, but he knew that if ever it were to happen, it'd probably just be another dream. Just like the time he had flown to Neverland with Wendy, John, and Michael Darling. Or the time when he, Archie Smith, had to save Peter Pan from Captain Hook.

_"_Oh gosh," Archie said with a sighed. "I'm turning thirteen on Sunday. I'm officially a teenager then. But I don't want to grow up! Why can't I be like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys? They never have to! And if Neverland and Peter Pan are real, then I would never have to grow up…"

Archie made his way across the room to the map of Neverland; he had drawn a replica of the map and stashed it away in his dresser a long time ago. He smiled as his eyes went from the map to Peter to Hook. Archie would have given up his everything just to get a taste of the glory that Peter Pan had to his name. The famous name known all over the world. The name of the boy that never grew up. The boy that Archie wanted to be.

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**Author's Note: **Thanks for reading! It is very much appreciated and I would adore it if I were to hear your feedback on it too. So leave a review. Message me. Anything. Thanks again. Catch ya guys later! - May Vulcan


	2. Chapter 2

**_Full Summary: _**_Many people fear spiders, snakes, the dark, heights, etcetera etcetera. But Archie Smith doesn't fear any of that. In fact, one could say that Archie Smith is fearless... well except for the fact that he fears growing up. So when his thirteenth birthday arrives, he's not in the least thrilled. Will anything ever come to change his mind?_

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**_Disclaimer_**_: I own nothing, just sayin'._

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**Chapter Two: Not So Happy Birthday**

"_Growing up is such a barbarous business, full of inconvenience... and pimples._" - J. M. Barrie

It was finally Sunday and everyone in the Smiths' household was busy preparing for Archie's thirteenth birthday… well, almost everyone. Archie was sitting in his Neverland nursery, banging his head against the bean bag that portrayed the role of a Neverland rock. He didn't want to give himself too much of a headache; Archie just wanted all of the teenage drama to end.

He had only been an official teen since half past two in the morning and it was now two in the afternoon. He had only been awake for seven hours with nothing to do and no one to talk to and he already hated his teen years. Whether it be due to the fact that Archie was really bored or whether it be just because the poor boy never wanted to grow up, it didn't matter; Archie _hated_every minute of his teen life.

Slowly, Archie got up from where he was seated and walked toward the window sill that, though the room was supposed to be a replica of Neverland, looked like that of the window sill that Wendy and her brothers had flown out of in order to follow Peter to Neverland. He sighed and seated himself in a position where he could easily stare blankly at the midday sky.

"Archie?" a voice from behind the door called. It was Mr. Smith. "Are you in there?"

Archie didn't respond; he wasn't in the mood to speak with any adults… not right now. He simply got up from where he had been sitting and walked slowly towards the door.

"There you are, Arch," Mr. Smith said. "Your mother and I have been looking everywhere for you; your uncles and grandparents are downstairs in the kitchen, waiting to wish you a Happy Birthday."

Archie shook his head with a glare. It didn't feel like a _happy_birthday; it just felt like one of the darkest and most depressing days of his life… and there was nothing he could do about it or to stop it.

"Archie," Mr. Smith sighed, "I know growing up is a pain. But someone once said that growing up is-."

Rolling his eyes, Archie sneered at his father, "Well, my favorite author once said, '_Growing up is such a barbarous business, full of inconvenience… and pimples_'."

Mr. Smith smiled and looked toward the paintings in the Neverland replica. "Oh, Son; this room brings back so many memories of my childhood… Look, I can't stop you from growing up, but you have to understand that it's a part of life; you can't run away from it."

"Peter Pan did," Archie whispered under his breath. "Look at where that's taken him."

Mr. Smith laughed and then looked toward his son. "Archie, I can simply tell your mother to call off the party and I can politely tell your guests that you won't be coming down…"

"Mom wouldn't allow that, Dad."

"I can tell her you're not feeling well," Mr. Smith said with a smile, "because I don't want to send you downstairs unless I know that you're completely _ready_and okay with the fact that you have to grow up. Archie, I know you don't want to be thirteen… You're my son and I know you well enough, but please… think this one through."

"Dad," Archie said, "can I ask you something?"

Before turning to walk out of the room, Mr. Smith looked toward his son and smiled, "Sure."

"When you were little did you ever… you know… go through what I'm going through right now?"

"You mean not wanting to grow up?" Mr. Smith asked. "Archie, like I said growing up is a part of life and no one can escape it… but can you honestly tell me of a child in this world that didn't want to stay their age? Everyone wishes they could live forever… but-."

"Okay, I get it, Dad," Archie had had enough of the lectures and talks.

"Son, even Peter Pan has to grow up sometime…" And with that, Mr. Smith walked out of the Neverland nursery.

Archie let the words sink into his mind; he didn't want to believe what his dad had just told him. Peter Pan was supposed to stay a boy forever! He was never supposed to grow up! Neverland made it so that Peter could never grow up! Archie grabbed the foam sword lay on the floor beside the beanbag chair and threw it toward the window.

"I won't grow up!" Archie shouted. "I can't!"

After a little more yelling and a lot of throwing things around the room, Archie sunk back onto the beanbag chair and began to cry.

"I won't… I can't… Peter didn't have to… and he never will," Archie sobbed. "Mom and Dad… they'll never understand what I'm dealing with…! They never had to worry about growing up like this… Dad said he grew up when he was ready and Mom's shared the fact that she was ready to grow up too…! No one understands… God! I've only been… a teenager… for a few hours… and I'm already dealing with the angst…"

Archie looked toward his favorite book, the book he had thrown across the room too. Simply he got up and walked toward the door. He looked at it and said, "Mom… Dad… I'll find a way to show you that I _can_ run away from growing up. I'll show you that I _can_ be like Peter. And when I do… you'll be sorry for thinking that I was ready to grow up."

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**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading, everyone! I really do hope you enjoyed the chapter and I would also like to know how you guys feel about this story... so review, review, review? :D I'd very much appreciate it! Please, please, please! Teehee. - May Vulcan


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